Entertainment

The producers of the widely popular Big Brother Naija may have saved the best and most decorated for last with African music legend Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba performing at the Sunday evening finale, but there’s added treat for fans with news of a premiere performance of his hot new single ‘Holy Holy’. ‘Holy Holy’, written by Innocent Idibia and John ‘AJ’ Agom and produced by Bolji Beats, is 2Baba’s first official single in 2017, a year that has seen the pop icon grab headlines for the stormy February 6#OneVoiceNigeria protests, fundraising partnership with UNHCR for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and cameo in Ayo Makun’s ‘10 Days in Sun City’ which has Hypertek’s 2015 African Queen (HDV) release as original motion picture soundtrack. On ‘Holy Holy’, 2Baba in classic defiant fashion, lays it on the line – stating his case, checking naysayers and motivating the listeners to keep their eyes on the prize. Celebrated legendary African DJ Jimmy Jatt recently did a mega mix of 2Baba’s songs in a compilation called ‘Royal Highness’, which comes in 2 full volumes. The mix was unveiled at a media event on April 8th and available exclusively on the Ntertane app, according to the representative of the label. With the release of the ‘Royal Highness’ mega mix, the focus is squarely on the music, and ‘Holy Holy’ is first in a line of a long list of major career moves that the artiste and his management will be announcing in the coming months.

It’s been an epic 74 days and with only two days remaining, the housemates are pumped up for what’s set to happen on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Biggie has done a fantastic job of helping them enjoy these final moments to the fullest. Today though, the onus was on Igwe Marvis to pass on the Head of House crown to another housemate who was yet to own it, of course that person was TBoss so we witnessed the uneventful coronation of Igwe TBoss for her 1-day reign.

According to Biggie’s brief, the housemates had to play a life-size game of snakes and ladder. Fun, yes! The only twist was that they all had to, at some point, share with fellow housemates good and bad decisions they had made that had kept them in the house or that they regret. So, the rules were a bit simple. If they throw the dice and land on the bottom of a ladder, they would climb up to the top of the ladder and tell a good decision they’ve made. On the other hand, if they landed on the mouth of a snake, they would drop to the bottom and share a bad decision they’ve made.

The housemates received two guests in the House today. Former Big Brother Nigeria contestant who also happens to be the host of this edition, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and 2011 Big Brother Africa winner, Karen Igho. Hands down, this visit was the most fun we’ve seen so far. Karen could not stop talking, she had so much to say to the final five and she held nothing back. She also seemed at home but that we understand. She was once them. Karen told the final five what awaited them outside the house and gave them helpful advice on how to handle criticism. She got more than a fair share in her time, she recounted how people called her ugly but she fought it all how? “You accept me? You Love me? You don’t? That’s for you! Don’t let anyone bring you down. Know your worth”.

Ebuka, on his part, gave them a quick prep for the sort of questions they would get asked at interviews. He talked about how his career in entertainment spun from Big Brother, how long it took and how he almost gave up. He was also treated to a meal of Indomie Noodles, prepared by his biggest crush, Marvis. She got a special hug from him, by the way.

Meanwhile, it was Karen’s birthday so there was a beautiful cake, champagne and music by Debie-Rise, prompted by Karen. The seven moved from the dining area to the garden, Karen ran around in the rain and later settled for more talk. They final five shared their post-BBNaija goals with her and it was all just good fun before the buzzer sounded off.

We thought we had our biggest highlight for the day until Biggie asked the housemates to dress up in their finest clothes and prepare for their last presentation in the Arena. They had only 40 minutes to get dressed so there was hardly any time to prepare a speech.

It was official campaign time and each of the housemates took their turn with TBoss taking the lead.

Here are excerpts from their speeches:

TBoss: “I came into this House a princess and now I stand before you, a queen! I say this with humility. I am not a proud person.”

Efe: “Efe na you! Efe na that mother who deprives herself of every luxury so her kids go to school. Efe nah me coz I be Nigerian and against all odds I stand with my two feet”

Marvis: “I have put in work since day one! I’m not pleading with you just to win. I’m pleading because win dey my body.”

Bisola: “Bisola means ‘Born into wealth’ but that hasn’t been the case. I’m not the most beautiful, the most talented or the most intelligent but you’ve kept me here.”

Debie-Rise: “Growing up I just wanted to be more. This passion that I have? I want go home and say that it was worth it in the end!”

The campaign was the most touching and the housemates definitely struck a chord in our hearts. Who are you voting for?

The visitors were camped in their opponents’ half for long periods but were frustrated by a combination of their own lack of a cutting edge and Swansea’s diligent defending, before Dele Alli eventually broke through to convert Christian Eriksen’s cross after 88 minutes.

Son Heung-min fired Tottenham ahead in added time, and then Eriksen completed the remarkable comeback with a curling effort.

While second-placed Spurs continue to breathe down the necks of leaders Chelsea, a third defeat in four games sees Swansea drop into the relegation zone.

Tottenham leave it late

Christian Eriksen has been directly involved in 10 goals in his seven Premier League games against Swansea (6 goals, 4 assists)

Having cut Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table to seven points with Saturday’s win at Burnley, Spurs were aiming to further reduce that deficit with a fifth successive Premier League victory.

Yet for all that Mauricio Pochettino’s side had impressed this season, that triumph at Turf Moor was only their fifth away league win – and their vulnerability on the road was evident at the Liberty Stadium.

Although they enjoyed near total control of possession and territory during a one-sided first half, Tottenham fell behind after Swansea’s first attack of the game.

Jordan Ayew muscled his way into the visitors’ penalty area and pulled the ball back to Routledge, one of four former Spurs in the hosts’ line-up, and the winger squeezed his finish past ex-Swans keeper Michel Vorm.

Tottenham had 73% of possession at the Liberty Stadium, much of which they held inside the Swansea half as their heatmap (right) shows

Tottenham continued to boss proceedings but lacked a cutting edge in attacking positions, missing injured top scorer Harry Kane and frustrated by their dogged opponents.

But as they had demonstrated in their previous seven games without Kane – four wins and three draws – Spurs can cope in the striker’s absence.

They left it late, with Alli tapping into an empty net from Eriksen’s wicked low cross, before Son finished from close range to send the visiting Spurs fans into raptures.

Eriksen then added a third in added time to complete a stunning fightback and leave their opponents crestfallen.

Swansea’s worries deepen

Hull’s win over Middlesbrough sends Swansea back into the bottom three

A return of just one point from their previous three games had seen Swansea sink deeper into relegation trouble, one point and one place above the bottom three.

Head coach Paul Clement spoke of a nervousness inside the Liberty Stadium during Sunday’s goalless draw with Middlesbrough, though any creeping sense of anxiety for the home fans was eased with Routledge’s early goal.

They made their ground a cauldron of noise, roaring their approval with every tackle, block or pass from a Swansea player.

The hosts dared to attack on occasion, with Kyle Naughton close to becoming the second ex-Spurs player to score against his former employers as his deflected shot fizzed wide.

But it was Swansea’s defensive effort which provided the foundation for their admirable display, and looked set to earn them a first league win over Spurs since 1982.

However, their resistance was eventually broken and, with relegation rivals Hull beating Middlesbrough, the Swans’ descent back into the bottom three leaves their hopes of survival in doubt.

Man of the match – Dele Alli (Tottenham)

Despite their frustration at being held by Swansea, Spurs did not panic – and their calm was personified by Alli, who popped up in the perfect position to equalise.

ay 68 was just as eventful with the six housemates currently in the house; there was a fight, a task of games, the Friday night Arena games and some heat.

Early on in the day while the housemates lazed around getting ready for the day’s task, an unfamiliar song blasted through the PA system and less than a minute into the song, they figured it was former housemate, CocoIce’s latest jam. The housemates were extremely excited to hear her song and they all danced till the song played out. We didn’t see TBoss dance though but we’re not surprised.

One of the most significant moments today was the time Bisola and TBoss bonded. You’re wondering how? TBoss was clearly having a meltdown based on uncertainties and fear of what the future holds for her. We all find ourselves in those sort of moments, don’t we? While she sat and cried, Bisola joined her and began to admonish her to cheer up. But the most interesting part was the words of wisdom and encouragement she dropped too. TBoss clearly felt better after Bisola’s speech and we all did too…

Bally and Debie-Rise also found each other in such moment when she shared stories from her past as regards her musical journey and what she looked forward to in the future. Both housemates used to be quite close but since Biggie allowed them to conspire and everyone had chosen his team, the two had grown apart. So this also was good bonding. What do you think?

Meanwhile, today’s task was not as heated as previous days in the Extreme Survivor Week. They received assorted game apparatus from Biggie and were tasked to create their own tournament. They had to come up with their own unique ideas with what was available and the ultimate goal was to impress Biggie. Bally and Bisola set up the stump where the loops would land in the garden, there were calculations and measurements for the appropriate placement of the apparatus.

The games had barely started when Debie-Rise and Bisola disagreed over the former’s insistence on changing one of the rules of the game. Bisola could not take it so she lashed out and did not stop. It must be that Debie-Rise does not agree with people who whine because she expressly told Bisola to “keep shut”. Then things went out of hand from there. Bisola’s aggressive side took control and it took TBoss literally carrying Debie-Rise off her face for some calm to set in. They called each other “mad”, “lunatic”, etc, and of course, Bisola sent the F-word flying all over the face.

But guess what? In few hours, Debie-Rise did the most graceful thing. She walked up to Bisola and apologised. Bisola was thrown aback but accepted the apology and they both hugged each other for so long amidst laughter and jokes. TBoss sat at the dining table and stared on. Do you think she picked a lesson from Debie’s action?

At the Friday PayPorte Arena Games which is actually the penultimate *tears*, Efe came out tops. The usual winners, Bassey and ThinTallTony were out of the way so Efe who won the first ever Arena games in the house came back to reclaim his throne. He finished in 2.30 seconds with TBoss following behind. When it came down to choosing who he share his reward with, he picked his house bride, Marvis.

There’s only one day before the final eviction show. Who will remain and who will leave?

Don’t know what it feels like to be homeless? Well, you can ask any of your favourite housemates because they’ve had firsthand experience of living out of the comfort of a home, according to Bisola.

Day 67 was the type we could never have imagined. A day where Biggie would prove to the housemates that he’s the landlord and could chase his mere tenants out with a notice of only 45 seconds.

The day started with Bisola leading the workout routine, Efe and Marvis later whipped up breakfast and the housemates took their new favourite positions. TBoss and Debie-Rise in a private location giggling; Bisola, Marvis, Efe and Bally in another location gossiping (who else thinks these four are becoming increasingly petty and annoying?). The usual tension that had swept over the house since Biggie announced they could conspire hung in the air still.

Biggie took hold of the situation by giving the HoH Bisola a brief to read the others. It was a simple instruction. The housemates would be spending the day out in the garden, they were to pack everything they would need and would be allowed brief bathroom breaks. As soon as Bisola read the last words, the housemates jerked to action, running around packing everything they could think of: blankets, food, drinks, beds, pillows, extra pieces of clothing etc.

Did we remember to say that all the housemates except Bally were experiencing the aftermath of eating so many lemons from Day 66 task so they were frequently visiting the toilet? In one word, they were all sick. Biggie promised to send them meds but also insisted that they drank at least 8 cups of water to flush their body system.

While outside, the ninjas monitored the house and the movements of the housemates when they went in for their bathroom breaks, TBoss and Efe took the most turns using the toilet and one could tell that they had grown weak.

Later on, the housemates were let in to the Arena for a shooting task where they had to hit point-based target with a paint guns. After they all had their turns, Bally emerged winner with 400 points. This little victory meant nothing as the housemates went back to continue their outdoor life.

From the perspective of a viewer, the day out in the garden was a ploy by Biggie to ease the tension in the house. There was clearly a division, the housemates had split into two groups of four and two, they had enough space in the house to move with minimal collision. But the garden was different, they were forced to look into each other’s faces, they were confined to a space and they had no choice but to engage and it was fun to watch. Bisola and Debie-Rise talked the most, Marvis and TBoss laughed along and contributed too, Bally chipped in many times but Efe was mostly silent. Maybe he missed gossiping with his clique or he just needed to stay quiet, no one knew for sure what he felt.

The housemates attested to this when they were called in for their Diary Room sessions. They all admitted that they’ve had time to bond again, Bisola particularly said she was happy and had not had this sort of fun since ThinTallTony left the house. It was good for them and pleasant for us to watch as well.

With the mission almost achieved, Biggie demanded that the housemates have to lobby for the opportunity to get back into the house. They prepared for a presentation task and took turns behind a podium convincing Biggie. Efe’s speech seemed the deepest as he took us back to his poor background and apologised for taking the luxuries in the house for granted. Bisola begged that they be allowed to go back in so they would not fall ill. They didn’t quite succeed at convincing Biggie as he left them hanging with “The doors may or may not be open”

Finally, after the housemates had resigned to fate and had prepared to spend their night in the garden, Biggie announced that the could go in. The housemates screamed their gratitude and moved in to another surprise. The ovens and stove had been labelled “Do Not Touch” so there would be no cooking activities. But as sharp young people, they turned to the microwave, made dinner and spent the rest of the night talking as one unit – just the way we like it.

Now to you guys. Which do you prefer – all the six housemates bonding or the four/two division? Let us know.

In the celebration of contemporary art, The Gidi Culture Festival in collaboration with Vortex Daily takes this year’s Easter festivity to a whole new dimension through a unique collaboration.

They have developed a Gidi Corps which is a comic representation of the #GidiFest2017 headline acts, Davido, Diplo, Seyi Shay, Burna Boy and many more. They are the defenders of the continent with supernatural powers.

These will be showcased at an exhibition at Gidi Fest and will also include a series of comic strips created around the Gidi Fest Culture

This will be announced by a mobile gallery designed by Vortex which will be going around campuses and the streets of Lagos accompanied by the #GidiSquad promoting the festival.

Vortex Daily is a leading creative content company exporting African culture through comics and cartoons. Popularly known for creating EKUN #1 and many others.

The Exhibition is schedule to take place this Easter weekend on the 15th April 2017 at Eko Atlantic.